VIP treatment of Bargirl Murder Suspects causing uproar
A probe investigation into the way some police officers have reportedly given VIP treatment to the three suspects in the murder of a Khon Kaen bar girl has been launched, following photos which have since gone viral, which appear to show the suspects relaxing in custody
The suspects Preeyanuch “Preaw” Nonwangchai, 24, Kawita “Earn” Ratchada, 25, and Apiwan “Jae” Sattayabundit, 28, have confessed to killing and dismembering Warisara Klinjui, 23.
Supposedly they were not caught, but instead, handed themselves in to police in Myanmar, where they had fled after the killing.
Normal procedure calls for any criminals to be handcuffed, before being handed over to Thai authorities, however, this was not the case as they were transferred Saturday night from Myanmar to Chiang Rai immigration.
Video footage of the suspects being handed over was caught by a Spring News journalist. The footage shows all three suspects looking relaxed and two of the three suspects carrying rainbow-colored hybrid blanket-pillows, which they were later photographed cuddling with.
More photos then emerged from various sources showing the suspects relaxing with officers, smoking, and even applying make-up. To top it all off, a photo then appeared showing suspect Preeyanuch with her face covered in white powder posing happily with a police officer, both with big grins on their faces.
The public have become enraged with what they are seeing and the Thai social media can’t get enough of it.
A Police spokesman Detnarong Suthicharnpanya has stepped forward after huge pressure from the public demanding answers. He said that he personally believes that the police actions were a strategy to “relax” the suspects so that they would reveal more information, but nevertheless, a team has been employed to further investigate the actions and behavior and some police members towards the suspects.
On June 5th, the 3 suspects were taken back to Khon Kaen and to the scene of the murder, accompanied by no less than 300 police officers. There, they were made to re-enact the incident, step by step. As word got around, a huge crowd started to form and became pretty much a free for all of abuse towards the suspects.
The re-enactment included the moment the suspects allegedly picked up the victim in a rented car at an intersection on Nadi Road, killed her in the car, purchased a saw at a local store, and cut up the 22-year-old bar girl at a resort.
The victim’s dismembered body was stuffed into plastic bags, put in two plastic containers and buried on a land in Khao Suan Kwang district.
The trial for the 3 suspects will start Monday and reports suggest that police are ready to oppose any bail that may or may not be set.
